The Boathouse

Today it was Mick’s turn to head northwards. Morning appointments mean it’s cheaper to travel the night before, although with train strikes on Sundays this makes trains across to Scarborough a touch awkward. But the advantage of a night in Scarborough is that today the grass would get cut along with a touch more gardening. If we were living in the house I’m sure we would be taking part in No Mow May, we do our bit for the pollinators elsewhere in the garden and it helps to make the house look loved, until it has grown another a foot!

I walked into town as Mick sped off on a bike. Half way there I realised that I would have to wait for the shops to open so I needed something else to keep me occupied.

Yesterday when checking out the sculptures I read about there being some Antony Gormley figures high above the Cathedral Square, so I went Gormley spotting.

Places To Be was commissioned back in the 1980’s by Peterborough Development Corporation, it was originally on display at Monkstone House Offices but it got vandalised. The three figures were then moved to the water meadows where it lived for eight years, but sadly one of them lost their arms. Back in 2018 new arms were attached and the figures moved once more to be above Cathedral Square. They are about the future, looking forward, walking towards and embracing the future.

I had a clue as to where they were positioned, if you look up two of the figures are in plain sight, but the third one eluded me. I walked along most of the façade of the Queensgate Shopping centre where it was meant to be to no avail! But I had omitted to look behind me on exiting the shopping centre, the walking man is a little shy.

A visit to Clares for a stretchy head band, a check round M&S Foodhall for anything marked down in price that looked tasty, then I walked towards the station to Waitrose. This would be the only place in town for me to buy the yoghurt I like, got a few other bits too.

Back at the boat I was relieved that there were only two fishermen, so far. The stern doors were opened for Tilly and the cratch got a cat sized hole for ease of access should the stern not be reachable today. Tilly and I agreed that we didn’t want the same thing to happen today, the both of us left hoping she’d be able to get back to Oleanna in safety. It would also have been very unfair not to let her out, we just hoped our mooring didn’t become too popular once again.

The weather helped. In fact there was only really one group of teenagers who came to sit by the water today. They brought their music and loud voices and gradually moved into the woods as it started to rain.

The chap who likes test driving his rib arrived with his cruiser. I thought that now the basin would be full of petrol fumes and many waves as he practiced doing wheelies and going sideways. He pulled up behind us, stayed for twenty minutes and then pushed off, thank goodness!

Being inside on my own meant I could give the floor a good clean. It gets swept through quite frequently, but with muddy paws and shoes constantly traipsing through it gets bad. We like boating, not cleaning boats. The mop was so solid it needed a good half hours soak before I could wring it out. Everything was lifted off the floor, mats taken outside for a good bashing. I swept, hoovered and then gave it a really good wash. Then a second wash. A scrub on high traffic areas with a pan scrubber, another quick mop down before I left it all to dry.

Then out came the Method wooden floor cleaner. I’ve had this for years but have never had enough time on my own when the floor has been clean enough to warrant using it! The instructions said to squirt it onto the floor, then using a dry mop with long strokes to clean the floor. Well there was the mop on the roof, now wet with rain and not particularly clean. Then the mop I’d been using which was very wet. So I created my own mop like thing with the broom, a clean large cloth and some parcel tape. This worked very well and will, if I ever get round to it again, be repeated.

Of course soon as I was finished and stood back to admire the lovely clean floor, Tilly arrived through the cratch, straight through the boat with her wet muddy paws to her food bowl! Oh well I’d been proud of my efforts for a minute or two.

At about 4:30pm Tilly decided that inside was a better place to be today. The doors remained open until gone 6, but she wasn’t interested. Outside remained quiet apart from our neighbour running his generator for half an hour. Out of interest is the 8pm to 8am rule applicable on EA waters too?

0 locks, 0 miles, 2 trains, 2 lawns cut, 1 Christmas hedge trimmer put to good use, 2 Gormleys, 1 still to spot, 3 head bands, 2 pots yoghurt, 5 miles walked, 3 washes, 1 scrub, 2 cleans, 1 lovely clean wooden….. 64 muddy paw prints! 1 quieter day all round.